Chapter 29: Boss Lu, in the next life, I shall be your loyal hound.

Lu Wu was stunned.

The second task had only just begun, and she felt as if her journey was about to end before it had truly started. She opened her mouth, but had no idea how to explain herself. Even if she were to pick up the pork knuckle and gnaw on it herself, she feared she could never convince these people that it was perfectly safe.

*Sigh.* This tendency to overthink is a poison, and it’s poisoning me.

With a heavy sigh, Lu Wu racked her brains for a solution, only to turn and see a familiar figure.

...

I am a little yellow mongrel. People call me Big Yellow, and I was born in a small place called Little River Town. Although my origins are humble, I have never accepted my lot in life. Fate may be set, but I believe that a dog can overcome heaven itself.

I have always secretly observed the lives of humans, studying their knowledge and striving to be just like them. Finally, one day, a flash of insight struck me, and I became intelligent. I knew then that I had become what humans call a demonic beast. From that day on, the stray cats and dogs on the street accepted me as their leader.

But I hold such things in disdain. Being a local bully with a pack of lackeys is not my ambition. I am a dog destined to become the Dog Emperor. So, I gave myself a name: Aotian—Dog Aotian. Humans once said that anyone with this name is destined for greatness.

After gaining wisdom, I learned to cultivate and realized that Little River Town could no longer contain a majestic existence such as myself. So, after a failed attempt to "touch porcelain" with that Boss Lu, I headed to the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. I had a premonition that I could find the means to grow stronger there.

However, accidents are always unexpected. On my first day, I encountered two powerful demonic beasts locked in battle. Sand flew, stones shattered, and the sky grew dim. I lack the vocabulary to describe that terrifying scene. Being far too weak, I could only lie on the ground and wait for the battle to end. Fortunately, those two seniors ignored a small shrimp like me, and I simply waited on the sidelines until they finished.

One died, one was injured. The bird-type senior was eventually strangled by the snake-type senior. Its massive body lay on the ground, its eyes—still wide with the shock of death—happened to stare directly at my hiding spot. Meeting those eyes, which remained bright even after all life had fled, only one thought filled my mind: *Become stronger!*

Perhaps my silent cry was too loud, for fate responded. The snake senior, though alive, was so severely wounded that he was on the verge of death and unable to move. He called for me, ordering me to gather medicinal herbs to restore his strength, promising a reward afterward. After weighing the pros and cons, I agreed. This wasn't cowardice; it was the wisdom of knowing when to submit.

The wisdom of humans always guides me forward at critical moments. Even though humans don't like me, I love those lovely humans deeply, especially Boss Lu, who makes such good meat buns. *Slurp.*

I delivered the herbs to the snake senior, soaked in my own drool. His snake pupils narrowed, and a sense of crisis nearly overwhelmed me, but fortunately, he did not attack me and proved to be a beast of his word. After consuming the herbs, his injuries recovered slightly. He dug out and devoured the bird’s demonic core, and I felt his cultivation grow even more refined. The remaining bird meat was given to me as my reward.

The sight of so much meat dazzled me, a newcomer to such things. I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it. Though it wasn't as fragrant as Boss Lu's buns, I was still very happy. I swore that once I became stronger, I would go back to "touch porcelain" with Boss Lu and become her personal dog.

I ate until I was full. After the feast, a wave of heat surged through my body. This was the abundant spiritual energy contained within the beast's flesh, and I instinctively absorbed it. I knew I was getting stronger.

But I was also walking toward death. By the time I realized my body was undergoing a strange mutation, it was already too late. The spiritual energy in my meridians had turned black. I was poisoned. Why hadn't any beast told me that the meat of such beasts was also poisonous?

I dragged my poisoned body to find the snake senior, but he only looked at me with indifference. There was an absolute, freezing cold in those vertical pupils.

"Oh, I thought you knew."

That cold remark left me feeling as if I had been cast into a winter blizzard. So, it was true what the humans said: demonic beasts are cold-blooded and ruthless. Even among our own kind, there is no mutual care.

I felt so sad. The toxins were too vast, and I had not yet learned how to neutralize them. I could only rely on instinct to gnaw on some medicinal herbs; they eased the onset of the poison, but I was still stepping toward death, one move at a time. I panicked. Was I, Dog Aotian, destined to end here?

Days passed, and my body grew weaker. The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was no longer suitable for me. One day, after opening my eyes, I dragged my exhausted body and began to walk toward the outside of the valley.

I don't know how much time passed before I saw the narrow gap of the sky, and the scent of meat drifting from beyond it. It smelled so good.

This fragrance rivaled even Boss Lu's buns in my heart. Ah, I thought of Boss Lu again. If only I could eat one more of her buns before I died. With that thought, I headed toward the source of the aroma. My vision began to darken, blurring at the edges. Perhaps due to the poison, I vaguely saw Boss Lu. But how could that be?

I grinned, my whole body twitching; I didn't need to look to know how ugly I must have looked. I truly couldn't walk any further, so I collapsed beside the phantom of Boss Lu. If there is an afterlife, I will definitely…

"Oh? Big Yellow, are you alright?"

Lu Wu looked at the Big Yellow dog collapsed at her feet and raised her eyebrows in surprise. The diners had often said that while this dog was intelligent, it was still a demonic beast and posed a certain danger to ordinary people. Some had even tried to track it down in Little River Town to drive it away, only to return empty-handed. She hadn't expected Big Yellow to have entered the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, and to be so heavily poisoned at that.

Looking at Big Yellow’s gaunt, shriveled body, tormented by the toxins, Lu Wu felt a bit at a loss. She noticed the kindness and longing in its eyes and couldn't just stand by, but she didn't know how to cure poison, nor did she have any detoxifying pills on her. As for seeking help from others... Looking at that group of people, each keeping to themselves, and considering the massive hole she had dug for herself with that earlier misunderstanding, she feared no one would offer a hand.

In that case, she would have to treat a dead horse as if it were a live one. After glancing at the system's description of the giant pork knuckle, Lu Wu fished a steaming one out of the pot, removed the bone, tore the skin and lean meat into strips, picked up Big Yellow, pried open its mouth, and shoved the meat inside.

*Love to Death Giant Pork Knuckle*—special effect: detoxification. As for how deep this detoxification could go, it would depend on whether Big Yellow was tough enough to survive.

A faint swallowing sound followed; Big Yellow was cooperating with Lu Wu.

One step... two steps... Big Yellow, who had already stepped into the underworld, smelled the aroma of meat coming from the human world. For a dog, meat is impossible to resist. Not to mention, this meat was given by the "Bodhisattva" who looked just like Boss Lu. When Big Yellow tasted the meat, he was filled with joy. Unfortunately, his limited brain could not find the words to describe such deliciousness.

"Woof! Woof!"

He let out a weak bark, expressing his gratitude. Thank you, kind stranger, for allowing me to go on my way with a full stomach. May there be meat buns and giant pork knuckles in heaven, too.

Big Yellow peacefully closed his eyes. Goodbye, Boss Lu. In my next life, I will definitely be your dog.